The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 
The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats 

The Art of Persuasion: Deer Scents, Rattles, and Bleats In the 80’s, my father and grandfather were “entry-level” deer hunters.  They had been invited to begin hunting a timber here in central Iowa that had a steady population of deer.  In their efforts to learn more regarding the tactics to use to fool a wise old whitetail, my grandfather and father would douse their boots with fox urine!  It was an effort to hide human scent when they were in the woods.  It goes without saying that those boots were not allowed in the house, ever! There is no doubt […]

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Calling all Iowa Sportsman!

Calling all Iowa Sportsman! Tired of the same old hunting and fishing stories? Want to get the inside scoop on the latest gear, techniques, and local hotspots? Then, you need to tune in to The Iowa Sportsman Podcast. You can expect up-to-date hunting and fishing reports. Get the lowdown on what’s biting and where to […]

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Diy Water Hole for Deer

DIY Water Hole for Deer: Whitetails 365

DIY Water Hole for Deer: Whitetails 365 Having clean water is of utmost importance for deer as it is essential for their survival and overall health, so creating a DIY water hole for deer can greatly improve your property. Having a place with food, cover, and water is vital for any successful hunting property. If […]

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Shed Hunting Secrets from the Experts

Shed Hunting Secrets from the Experts

Shed Hunting Secrets from the Experts Shed hunting is one of the most magical bonus gifts that nature provides to all of us hopeless outdoor addicts. Sometimes my inner dialogue exclaims “You mean to tell me there are antlers just laying around out there waiting to be picked up?! For free?!?” Yeah, it’s that good. […]

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How to Establish Perennial Cover

How to Establish Perennial Cover

How to Establish Perennial Cover Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to destroy than it is to build something great? It probably has something to do with the law of entropy, everything degrades into a state of greater disorder over time. This is easy to see people introduce a wrecking ball to […]

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Featured Story

Iowa Public Land Hunting 

Every hunter wants to know where to go to harvest a great deer.  We often assume that there is some “honey hole” spot out there that a person can always go to and harvest a trophy year after year.  While having hope for that, we are always keeping our ears perked for that privileged information on where the best place to hunt would be.   

Now, let me ask you, if somebody had the perfect spot to hunt where they are harvesting trophy deer year after year, do you think that they would share that information with you?  Probably not.  Unless they are VERY gracious and kind.   

In this article, I will not share any “secret spots” with you who are reading.  Frankly, because I don’t have any secret spots to share!  However, I’ve lived in Iowa long enough to steer you to certain areas of our great state that might give you a great chance to fill a tag this fall and winter.  So let’s begin with some regions of the state to key into. 

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The Iowa Sportsman website and magazine are Iowa’s only privately owned media sources catering to hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts here in Iowa. Simply put, we are unlike other Iowa outdoor media sources: All our staff is from Iowa, from our publisher to our writers. We actually follow through on what we advertise; we provide knowledgeable content from people who know the industry or sport discussed.